29 December 2010

We will run tomorrow, too. And we will run the next day. This is who we are.

Running is not a hobby.

Running is not a phase we are going through. We will not get it out of our system.

We will sign up for our second marathon the day after finishing our first marathon.

We will wake early every morning to feel the new sun on our legs. To feel fresh snow under our feet. To feel the wind against our backs. To hear birds and newspaper trucks and our favorite playlists. We will watch early-morning clouds move across mountains and we will taste salt on our lips.

We will run when we are at our smiling happiest. We will run when we are at our saddest sad. We will run when we are tired or sick or married or alone. We will run when we have kids and when loved ones pass away. We will run with souls full of heartache and compassion and trust and overflowing love.

We will run to share our love.

We will run to test our own limits, to prove to ourselves that we can do it.

We will run for our health. We will run if only to listen to our own hearts beating for miles. We will run to feel every muscle. We will run to sing as loud as we can in the middle of the woods.

We will run on dirt and sand and mud and concrete and asphalt and gravel and rock and grass and cinder and rubber.

We will run to see how far the trail will go. We will run to see what speeds the sidewalk can handle. We will run between buildings and canyons, and we will believe we are free.

We will run to feel the earth moving under our feet.
We will run to celebrate the life that is flowing through our bodies.

Years ago I was watching post race coverage of Bloomsday. There had already been a recap of the winners and where they separated from the others.

As they were filling out the program, KXLY had a static camera shot of the finish line and all the runners streaming across it. The time was roughly 56 minutes. For reference, the winners finished in the 34 range.

John Sinclair, a 2 time winner, was providing the color commentary. He stated that the people coming across the line were the crazy people you saw at 7am on a snowy Sunday in February as you were drinking your coffee and reading the newspaper. He called these folks "RUNNERS" vs joggers. It had nothing to do with their speed, although sub-hour is a Holy Grail at Bloomsday. He called them Runners due to their dedication to their sport.

It didn't matter if it was raining or snowing or windy or way too hot, we'd be out there doing the sport we love.